Former Daily Bugle and current DB! reporter Ken Ellis first made a splash during the public debut of Ben Reilly as the Scarlet Spider, providing the new costumed hero with his name following a pitched battle with Venom. Over time, Ellis would earn a reputation as a talented if sometimes arrogant writer whose aggressive pursuit of stories landed him both praise and in plenty of trouble.

In one of his earliest assignments for the Bugle after reaching the level of full-time staff writer, Ellis ran afoul of the super-villain Skull-Jacket, who knocked him out with one of his trademark dart weapons and stole a sample of his RNA. With the help of NYPD detective Marcella Cellanos, Ellis tracked down Skull-Jacket and put Spider-Man on his trail before the mercenary could impersonate him and ruin his reputation.

Ellis also had a unique relationship with the short-lived heroic incarnation of the Green Goblin — actually Phil Urich, nephew of his Bugle rival Ben Urich — who both antagonized the reporter but also saved his life when the reporter got caught up in the “Great Game” and found himself a target of Joystick.

After several years of quiet investigative reporting and minimal interaction with any super heroes or villains, Ellis recently tumbled into a confrontation between Spider-Man and Deadpool while trying to dig up information on corruption within the U.S. military. Luckily for Ellis, he survived the encounter and received help from Deadpool as well as Cable in gaining the evidence he needed to write his story. Ellis now works for the DB!